Old Friends, New Enemies Season 4 Episode 6
by SnowWhiteandDopey
Summary: Rod Kyler and Tammy Cross are getting married in Las Vegas. Jaime, Oscar, Rudy and Callahan are invited. The beautiful weekend ends when one of the party is wanted by foreign agents.


Oscar Goldman was deep in thought when Callahan interrupted him with a phone call. "It's Rod Kyler." Memories of a disastrous trip to Nevada the year before that included fembots, explosions and concussions came into his mind.

"Rod, nice to hear from you." Oscar replied. "Are you finished with the treatments?"

"Yes, and it appears that they have worked." Rod gladly continued, "Because I seem to be cured, Tami and I are getting married this Saturday. We would love for you, Jaime, Rudy and Peggy to attend."

"Congratulations! We'd love to." Oscar started to think of ways to extend the weekend.

"I took the liberty of inviting Peggy when I called you. I'll call Rudy next. How do I get in touch with Jaime?"

"Actually, Jaime's living in Washington…with me." Oscar wasn't sure why but it still surprised and delighted him to say that to people.

Rod smiled as he said, "Congratulations to you, Oscar! She's a wonderful woman."

"Yes, she is. I'm going to see if we can arrive Thursday as I owe her a much nicer weekend in Las Vegas than the last time." Oscar was embarrassed to remember his behavior. He had invited Jaime to Las Vegas to relax and see some shows. Instead he spent hours on the phone trying to reach Rod Kyler and had generally been so preoccupied with work that there was little chance of relaxing. Then he'd asked her to go undercover in the middle of the one show she wanted them to attend.

"You can have the best suite in the hotel. I'll personally make sure your stay is only as eventful as you'd like it to be. I'll see you Thursday." Rod was happy to do what he could to make Jaime's stay special. It was Jaime who encouraged him to start new treatments with Rudy.

When Oscar arrived home, he told Jaime of Rod's call and his plans for a romantic weekend. "I owe you big time for the last trip to Vegas."

"Yes, you do. What a nightmare! Would you like to see that show? I wonder if it is still playing? Or is there another one that you'd prefer to see?" Jaime was excited by the prospect of a vacation.

"The weekend is about making you happy. I need to make up for my behavior last year. Why you didn't leave me where I stood at that silly phone is a mystery." Oscar put his arm around Jaime and kissed her lightly. "You've put up with a lot from me over the years. I'll never understand why."

"Me neither." Jaime teased, "Buster, if you so much as look at a phone this time, I'll break your arm!"

After a Thursday morning meeting with the Secretary and Bill Parr, Jaime and Oscar headed for the airport. Oscar was ready to be away for a few days. Apart from being with Jaime, he could get away from the torturous discussions over the OSI and NSB. The Secretary had wanted to stop the rivalry between the two agencies so there had been numerous meetings to re-define the scope of work each would get involved with. The easiest definition would be that the NSB take national security cases and the OSI take scientific ones. The trouble was that there were cases that included aspects of both. Bill Parr wanted to evaluate every possible scenario. Every time Oscar said a case should go to the OSI and why, Bill argued for the NSB. Add to this frustration was Bill Parr making veiled remarks that were meant to provoke Oscar into an argument or a violent outburst. The comments were becoming more barbed as Oscar failed to rise to the bait.

Pulling up to the hotel, they were met by Rod's assistant, Don Pence.

"Mr. Goldman, Miss Sommers, welcome. I'm here to escort you to your suite." They were taken to the Presidential suite. It was amazing. The view of the strip, the fine art works, one of the new Laser Videodisc setups with a big TV, fully stocked bar, king-size bed and even an in-room Jacuzzi.

"Here is a schedule of all the Las Vegas shows tonight. Let me know what you'd like to see and I'll arrange for VIP seating. Also, if there is a restaurant you'd like to try, I'll get you a table. All you need to do is call 0364 to talk to me. Enjoy your stay." With that Pence left the room.

As he pulled Jaime into his arms, Oscar said, "Alone at last. What's first on your list of things to do that we didn't last time?"

Jaime gave him a mischievous smile then started backing him towards the bedroom. "Why, Miss Sommers, what could you possibly have in mind?" Oscar was doing his best to look and sound shocked while at the same time moving them a little quicker.

Later that day Jaime and Oscar discussed what shows they might like to attend. "I thought you wanted to see that show again. What was it…Jubilee?" Oscar asked her.

"No, I just wanted YOU to see it last year so you'd forget about work and start thinking about 'other' things. I was just being subtle about it." Jaime told him with a sultry smile.

"Oh, THAT's why you wanted to see the show." Oscar chuckled, "Babe, you need to know that men do not understand subtle."

"So, I should have ripped the phone off the wall, carried you to my room and had my way with you." Jaime teased. "Would you have understood then?"

Laughing, Oscar replied, "I think even I would have understood that."

They decided to have dinner at a high dollar restaurant then go dancing. There was a live band that played the latest hits. There were fast disco songs and slow love songs to dance to. Oscar was a wonderful dancer so was able to pick up disco quickly. When they first started dancing together, Oscar felt self conscious about being much older than the other men but Jaime's attentions and the eyes she only had for him helped. After the dancing the couple walked on The Strip just enjoying being together with no phones or meetings. They each privately regretted that Rudy and Callahan would join them the next evening.

Friday night there was a party for all the invited guests. The four friends were dressed to the nines as they were wined and dined. Rod and Tami made a point to spend time with them despite all the other party goers. No one noticed that there were members of the wait staff paying attention to the group.

"He's spending a lot of time with these other people. We need to get him on his own," the waiter wearing the name tag of 'Mark' told a new clerk.

"He is checking out on Sunday. We need to be prepared the others will go with him." At the concerned look from 'Mark', "They can be dealt with at the rendezvous. It could be that they can be used as persuasion."

The wedding was a beautiful affair and the reception afterwards was even grander than the party the night before. This weekend was the first time either Rudy or Callahan had spent any time with Jaime and Oscar outside of the office. They had been a couple for over six months. Rudy was astounded by the lighthearted manner of his friends. They were just so comfortable together and they had the gift to make people comfortable around them. Callahan still found it peculiar to see Jaime and Oscar this way. She'd seen Jaime with many men including Steve and Chris but she'd never seen her so playful and full of life. As for Oscar, it was night and day. Outside of the office, Oscar was funny, kind and considerate.

The reception had gone on into the night. The four friends were a little tipsy but very happy by the time they finally said goodnight. It had been a long day with laughter, talking and dancing. None of them were ready to leave Las Vegas the next morning but it had to be done.

A car was waiting to take them to McCarran after breakfast. Their visit was certainly much happier than the one the year before. All four of them were a bit fuzzy from the wedding day revelry so no one noticed the van coming up fast behind the limo. In a flash their limo was forced off the road by a large truck. Jaime, Callahan and Rudy were squashed into Oscar on the passenger side. Before they could recover, another van had pulled next to the limo and four gunmen with masks had come out. One gunman shot the driver while another went to the passenger side.

"GET OUT NOW!" shouted the masked man. The other gunmen were waiting to escort the four friends to another waiting van. Jaime and Callahan were relieved of their purses. Rudy and Oscar had their wallets taken. They were handcuffed and blindfolded as soon as they entered.

"What do you want with us?" Oscar asked them in a commanding voice.

"No talking and no questions!" One of the gunmen sharply said as he banged Oscar hard in the head with his gun.

It was a long ride that seemed to be on highways then on dirt or gravel roads. Jaime listened as much as possible to various sounds trying to distinguish anything that would give them a clue as to where they were but nothing could be heard of note. One thing was sure, the gunmen meant business. There had been no hesitation in killing the driver. Jaime was frightened almost beyond rational thought at these men wanting Oscar. Why? Who were they? She was sitting next to Oscar desperate to get him away from these madmen.

Oscar was wondering the same thing as Jaime – who were these men and why did they want him? They were pros. He was heartsick that Jaime, Callahan and Rudy were with him. Oscar could feel his blood pressure rising and the approaching dizziness that sometimes accompanied the event. It took all his will power to calm himself. He needed his wits about him if he felt it necessary to negotiate for the lives of his companions.

The van stopped suddenly and they were manhandled into a building. They were escorted into a room before their blindfolds and handcuffs were removed. As their eyes adjusted they could see that the room was actually a vault with small ventilation vents but devoid of furniture. The room appeared to be escape proof even for Jaime.

"Jaime, do you hear anything?" Oscar asked her in a serious voice.

Jaime listened for any conversations. It took a couple of minutes before she heard foreign voices.

"There are two men talking…Russian, I think." Jaime stopped Oscar from speaking by a hand on the arm. She looked at Oscar then Rudy with increasingly widened eyes. "I don't understand…they keep talking about 'Wells'. Rudy, it's you they're after."

Oscar looked at Rudy with alarm. "They know. How could they know?"

"What do they know?" Callahan asked the pair.

Rudy started to explain. "I'm helping NASA engineers develop a missile defense system."

Oscar took over, "The idea is to arm satellites with lasers to enable the destruction of any missiles that would come over the United States. We have reason to believe that the Soviets are working on similar technology but it is feared that they want to use the satellites as weapons instead of defense."

"If they are working on something similar, why do they want Rudy?" Callahan wanted to know.

"The laser I've developed is more accurate and the beam much stronger than anything they have." Rudy told her.

Before Jaime or Callahan could ask anything further, the door opened. Three masked gunmen walked in. "Come with us Wells."

With a concerned look towards his friends, Rudy complied. It was a long, torturous walk to an office down the hall. He was hoping Jaime could still hear him but feared he was too far away. He walked into the office only to find Serge Guchkov sitting behind the desk. Guchkov was in the scientific arm of the KGB.

"Welcome, Dr. Wells." Guchkov waved to a chair for Rudy to sit in. "Like you, I have just arrived. Would you like to discuss the names of your companions?"

"You should let them go." Rudy knew that Guchkov had or would have their identification so felt disinclined to cooperate. He thought Guchkov was trying to get him used to giving information. It was an old trick.

Guchkov thought he would gauge Rudy's reaction before he put any more plans in operation. As he thought, Rudy wasn't going to cooperate without being forced. Guchkov snapped his fingers and looked at one of the gunmen who immediately gave him the wallets and purses. _Peggy Callahan, don't know her. Jaime Sommers – I've heard that name before. Rudy Wells, good we have the right man._ Guchkov smiled when he read the last license, _Oscar Goldman. _"Well, well. Oscar Goldman and Rudy Wells together – I would assume the two ladies are also OSI. What are all of you doing here? Does it have to do with the project?" Guchkov received nothing but stony silence.

"No matter. I know how to get answers."

Guchkov told one of the gunmen something in Russian. The man left the room. He picked out two more men before opening the vault door. "You – with us." The gunman pointed his pistol at Oscar.

As Rudy had feared, the office was too far away from Jaime for her to hear the conversation. Oscar had no idea what he was in for when he was taken to another room that was empty and dark. Once inside he was grabbed from behind and his arms held. What followed were half a dozen punches to the face and stomach. Without any spoken words he was practically carried to the office where Rudy was. Rudy was horrified when Oscar was dropped heavily to the floor. He was dazed and bleeding from a cut on his lip.

"That was for my brother officer who was killed as a result of OSI operations." Guchkov explained as Rudy tried to help Oscar to his feet.

"Guchkov." Oscar croaked as he'd had the wind knocked out of him. He knew of Guchkov. The KGB man was completely dedicated to his job and not above using all tactics available to get what he wanted. Oscar now knew they were in big trouble and they had to get away, especially Jaime and Callahan.

"I posed this question to Dr. Wells – when he didn't answer, you were given a special welcome. Now that you know what awaits one of your party, who are the ladies and why are you all in Nevada?"

Oscar hated being forced to answer questions because it gave in to their attackers but in this instance, it seemed logical to play along – for now. He could see all their wallets on Guchkov's desk so he already knew their names and where they lived. How could he protect Jaime and Callahan best? He decided to only tell what Guchkov could easily confirm.

"Peggy Callahan is my secretary. Jaime Sommers is from California. We were invited to Las Vegas for Rod Kyler's wedding. Your men were at the hotel weren't they? They can verify what I'm saying is true."

At a nod from one of the masked men in the room, Guchkov received confirmation that at least par t of the story was correct. "What is a school teacher from California doing with three OSI personnel?"

Oscar realized from the question Guchkov asked that Jaime must have her school identification in her purse. What else did she have in there? What if it was mail forwarded to his address? "Let's stop playing this game. What is it you want from us?"

Guchkov glanced at the gunman at Oscar's side. The man immediately hit him in the stomach with his rifle making Oscar groan and double up in pain.

"I ask the questions but you are right. It is time to get down to business. You will both give me detailed information on the missile defense system." Guchkov glared at Oscar with a menacing stare, "If you don't, the school teacher will get an education. Take them back to the vault for quarter of an hour to review then bring them back here."

Oscar was trying not to show the terror that was taking over. Jaime and Callahan had to get away – now.

Jaime and Callahan had been considering their situation and trying to figure out how to break out. The fear of the unknown threatened to grip Callahan but she was fighting it off with the excitement of being involved. She had secretly fantasized about being an agent in danger. Now she was living the fantasy and Callahan wanted to be part of the solution to their situation.

"Jaime, what about this wall – if you could break through it, we could all escape," Callahan confidently told Jaime.

"I could break through the wall given time but I'm not sure they would hear it and we don't know what's behind the wall. I could probably open the vault door but it will take time and make lots of noise. Maybe we'll know more about how many men there are once Oscar and Rudy are brought back." Jaime was hoping that would be soon as she had started to imagine all kinds of terrible things that could be happening to them.

Jaime heard a lot of footsteps coming to the door. She positioned herself where she would be able to see through the opening. Her heart pounded in anticipation of being reunited with the two men who meant so much to her. The door opened wide as Oscar and Rudy were pushed in. Jaime resisted looking at them as she saw what was behind the vault door. There were three masked, armed men who brought Oscar and Rudy. The room they were in seemed to be in a warehouse. It was almost as if it were set apart like a room within a room. The vault door was at least 8" thick so opening the door would be, like she'd told Callahan, time consuming and noisy.

Before the door was even shut, Jaime was reaching for Oscar. Her eyes widened and started to tear when she saw him. "What…oh Oscar!" She kissed him and started caressing his face then looked him up and down as she helped him sit on the floor.

"I'm okay – they just roughed me up a little. Listen, we only have a few minutes. You and Callahan have to get out of here." When Jaime started to interrupt, Oscar shook his head, "We are being held by a vicious KGB agent. He has given Rudy and me 15 minutes before he has us moved to his office again. If we refuse to give the information he wants, he will…torture you to make us talk. He knows you are a school teacher from California. He apparently doesn't know anything more about you. If he finds out about…us or your bionics, well, I don't want to even think about it."

"But what will they do to you when we're missing? Oscar, I can't leave you and Rudy behind especially if this man is willing to use torture."

"Jaime, he won't kill us because he needs the information." Oscar looked Jaime in the eyes when he quietly said, "He has no need for you and Callahan except as persuasion to make us talk. Guchkov won't care if you live…or die."

"How do we get out of here? Callahan and I have been looking at this room…I'm not sure I can break us out or where we would go once we got out."

"Before we reach the office, Rudy and I will create a diversion. When you hear it, I want you to break through the wall over there," Oscar pointed to his right, "as it doesn't look as thick and there appears to be some cover on the other side." Oscar squeezed her hands at the concerned look on Jaime's face. "The plan is dangerous but…at least you'll have a chance."

"What about you two?" Jaime was trying not to cry. "I can't just leave you."

"You have to, for now. Once you're safe by all means send in the cavalry. We'll either be here or on our way to Russia."

"They'll be here any time." Rudy went to Callahan and gave her a hug then he helped Jaime to her feet for a big hug. "Take care of yourselves. We'll see you both soon."

Oscar had gotten slowly to his feet. He also hugged Callahan who had tears in her eyes. She was scared now. She decided that being an agent was not what she wanted. Callahan hoped to soon be sitting at her desk with her workaholic boss safely in his office. Jaime and Oscar looked at each other for a few seconds before hugging. "I love you." Jaime whispered in his ear. "I love you, Babe." Oscar whispered back. They then quickly shared what they hoped would not be their last kiss before moving apart.

Jaime heard the footsteps of the armed men coming for Oscar and Rudy. They all stood in the middle of the room as the door opened. "You, come," they said to the two men. With one last look, Oscar followed Rudy out of the room. After the door closed, Jaime and Callahan quickly moved to the area Oscar had identified as a likely escape point then they waited.

Rudy didn't know what Oscar had planned as their diversion but he was ready. Oscar looked around as they walked. It was risky but he had no choice. A few yards from Guchkov's office Oscar banged two guards into each other then ran as fast as he could. Rudy pushed the other guard then ran off in the other direction. At the shouting of the guards, Guchkov came charging out of the office. In Russian he told the guards, "Get them NOW but do not kill!"

Jaime heard the noise and shouting so she kicked the wall as hard as she could. It took four kicks and a couple of pushes to create a hole just big enough for her and Callahan to crawl through. They ran to hide behind some boxes for just a moment to get their bearings. There seemed to be a storage area above where they were. There were windows ringing the warehouse. "We're going up there," Jaime pointed to the upper deck then put her arms around Callahan who had no time to protest.

Jaime jumped up to the deck at a place that they would have cover. From her vantage point behind some boxes, Jaime listened. Even though she couldn't understand Russian, she was sure that if they had been seen the guards would be shouting and running towards them. She heard talking but no panic headed her way. She took the bold step of peeking over a box at the warehouse. In the far end of the warehouse she could see the armed guards methodically looking around. Jaime guessed they were looking for Oscar and Rudy. The question was how long they would ignore her and Callahan.

Jaime crawled to the windows. There was a shed just along their current spot. She could see desert landscape beyond the shed. There wasn't much cover but it was the best they could find. She motioned for Callahan to join her as she quietly as possible broke the window. Callahan had quickly given Jaime an empty box to allow the broken pieces to fall into it. They hoped this would muffle the sounds. Jaime fought hard to ignore the shouting and noise coming from the other end. She had to focus on her task instead of thinking of what may be happening to Oscar.

Within a minute Jaime had helped Callahan out of the window and down to the shed then she followed. Jaime lowered Callahan to the ground then jumped herself. They stood waiting for a few seconds then they ran towards the desert. After a few seconds behind a bush, they ran further. This was repeated at least a dozen times before they felt confident they had gotten away, at least for now. The problem they faced was finding their way out of the desert to get help. Jaime listened for traffic, the airport or any machinery. They started north towards what Jaime heard as trucks. After walking a few miles, Callahan spotted the freeway.

"Callahan, you get some help, I'm going back."

"No, Jaime. They'll kill you." Callahan held Jaime's arm.

"I can't just leave Oscar and Rudy." Jaime gave Callahan a hug then ran off through the desert. As she got closer to the warehouse, Jaime heard gunfire. If possible Jaime ran faster than she'd ever run to get within watching distance. From behind a bush, Jaime tried to calm herself enough to make a plan.

After Oscar had pushed the guards, he just ran. Halfway across the warehouse he found some boxes to hide behind to give him a second to get his bearings. There was an upper deck close to where Jaime and Callahan were being held but nothing like that at his end. Oscar spied a couple of doors – one of which he thought he could make. He steeled himself, ducked his head and quickly moved towards the door. The cover of the boxes was helpful. Oscar heard Guchkov shouting then he saw a number of guards coming in the building from the outside. One guard was stationed at the door Oscar was going to go through. He was able to sneak up behind the guard and knock him out with the board. Oscar took the man's hand gun and AK-47 before leaving the building. He ran quickly to the desert.

Oscar was barely 50 yards from the warehouse when he heard shouting and gunfire. He dove behind the nearest bush then returned fire. He didn't have much ammo so every shot had to count. At least three men went down but there came four more to take their places. He was effectively pinned down. Oscar looked around for any options but there were none. Just as he thought his situation was looking bleak, Guchkov came out, shouting for men to come in the building to search for the women. Three men remained to keep Oscar pinned down while the others ran into the building. With a mixture of relief and dread, Oscar knew that Jaime and Callahan had escaped.

Because only one guard had followed him, Rudy had an easy time finding cover. He was a doctor not an agent so he just had his common sense to keep him safe. The idea was to allow Jaime and Callahan enough time to get away. Rudy was able to climb to the upper deck then hide in a box large enough to hold him and secluded enough to, hopefully, keep him safe. He heard shouting and men searching. A few times someone came within hearing distance but Rudy kept still. He was startled by the sound of gunfire and shouting. The gunfire came from near the warehouse and also from much farther away. _So Oscar has gotten a gun_, Rudy smiled to himself.

Callahan was able to flag down a passing semi-truck. It wasn't easy convincing the driver of her story but with his CB radio, they contacted the Nevada office of the FBI. They verified who she was by calling Russ. Callahan was informed that help was on the way. Luckily there were security forces nearby at the Hoover Dam and Las Vegas itself. Callahan stood by the road waiting for help but feeling helpless herself.

Oscar was completely frustrated. The three men near the warehouse had him right where they wanted him. He had limited ammo, no food, water or cover from the desert heat. It wasn't summer but it was still very hot and Oscar was now feeling dehydrated. If he so much as raised an arm there was a barrage of gunfire to keep him where he was. Oscar thought about crawling but there wasn't enough cover. For the time being, he was stuck.

Jaime kept hearing the occasional shot being fired on the front of the building. Something told her it was Oscar and he was in trouble. It was time she thought of a diversion. Jaime went further away from the building but close enough to throw something. She gathered some rocks as she went along. The best were baseball size – they weren't easy to find or carry but she managed to collect six. She found a spot behind a full bush that luckily had a few more rocks smaller than she wanted but they would have to do.

Jaime could now see three men with rifles standing near one of the doors. They were watching a spot in the desert. Every so often one of the men would fire a shot then pull back. Jaime aimed a rock at the men or the door behind them. The men appeared startled as they looked around trying to figure out what the sound was. She then picked up a handful of rocks and threw them one after the other. The men were in complete disarray. They ducked back into the building for cover. She decided to throw the larger rocks a few more seconds apart to allow more time for the person, Oscar she hoped, to get further away.

From his hiding spot, Oscar saw the men look confused then duck into the building. It appeared that rocks were being thrown at them. He tried to gauge where the rocks were coming from then took the opportunity to run towards the thrower. Without a doubt he knew it was Jaime. He couldn't wait to find her but he was fighting a battle between being happy to see her and being mad that she was putting herself in danger. Oscar stumbled a few times as he ran towards Jaime. Once he got close enough to where he thought she would be he softly called out her name. He frantically was looking around to find her. Finally he heard her calling out his name and saw her running towards him. As painful as it was to his bruised ribs, they flew into each other's arms. At the same time both asked "Are you alright?"

"Where's Callahan?" Oscar asked as they sat on the ground. It had taken all of Oscar's remaining strength to get to Jaime.

"I left her by the freeway to get help. I couldn't stay there while you and Rudy were here." Jaime wasn't feeling her best but she could see that Oscar was in bad shape. He was putting on a brave front but she could tell he needed medical attention right away.

The guards saw Oscar run away but they could do nothing because of the hail of rocks coming from deep in the desert. When they had the opportunity they fired shots towards the area where the rocks were coming from and towards the fleeing OSI man. They didn't relish the thought of reporting to Guchkov that they had lost their prisoners, again. It was decided to join the search for the missing doctor.

For his part, Guchkov was livid. Wells and the two women were missing and Goldman was pinned down in the desert. As he was walking out to the warehouse for a status report, Guchkov heard helicopters. He started running towards the office. He picked up as many papers as he could, stuffed them in a briefcase and headed towards his car. It was a race against time as the two helicopters landed in the front and back of the warehouse with FBI agents intent on capturing the Soviet gunmen.

"You stay here. I'm going to see if I can help Rudy", Jaime started to get up.

"NO!" Oscar grabbed her arm and painfully rose to his feet. "We'll go together. Rocks can only do so much." He held onto the AK-47 he still had. There was only one full clip left but he still had the pistol with two clips.

Jaime was about to argue with him when she heard the helicopters. She turned around and pointed into the distance. Both of them were relieved to see three choppers headed towards the warehouse. One chopper flew over their area then turned around to land near their position. To their surprise and delight, Peggy Callahan climbed out and started running towards them with a man in a suit.

After a quick welcoming hug, Callahan explained, "This is Dave Poole from the FBI."

"Mr. Goldman, what is the status?"

"Dr. Wells may still be in the warehouse. All care must be taken to insure his safety. There are at least seven heavily armed men as well as Serge Guchkov in the building. Guchkov must be apprehended."

"I've got my best men on it." Poole walked away to get on the radio. "McCorkle, we have one possible hostage and eight hostiles. Take care of it."

Poole returned to where Jaime, Oscar and Callahan were standing. "The cars should be here in a minute. You'll be able to get medical attention. I'm going to join my team." Poole headed towards his helicopter but Oscar stopped him. "I would like to join. It is my man in there."

"Mr. Goldman, you need medical assistance and I cannot insure your safety once we are on the ground so no, you may not join us now. You may follow in the cars if John Noland releases you." With that Poole ordered the helicopter to take off.

Once the cars arrived Oscar and Jaime were given water as well as something to eat. Despite what Noland advised, they both insisted on being taken to the warehouse to find Rudy. Poole was directing his men when they arrived. They had swooped in with tremendous force. Guchkov and one of his men were wounded and in custody. The other men were dead. Rudy had not been found.

"My men are going to search the area in the choppers." Poole told Oscar as he picked up his radio.

Oscar then Jaime started yelling Rudy's name as they walked through the warehouse. Oscar still had his pistol out just in case plus there were two FBI men with them also with guns drawn. All of a sudden from above a box dropped. They whipped around and looked up to see a terrified and angry Rudy Wells.

"DON'T SHOOT! Some rescue, those men are crazy!" Rudy yelled as he went to the ladder.

Oscar was admitted overnight for observation and treatment of severe dehydration, concussion and three cracked ribs. Jaime was also treated for dehydration but not admitted. After a relaxing night back at Rod Kyler's hotel, Rudy and Callahan returned to Washington the next day.

After his release from the hospital, Oscar and Jaime also returned home. For Oscar it was back to fighting with Bill Parr and the Secretary over the jurisdiction of the OSI and NSB. Jaime needed to decide if she was going back to teaching after her semester break or if she wanted to continue her education so she could pursue a new career in psychotherapy. The holidays were approaching and Jaime was looking forward to having Helen and Jim to Washington for Thanksgiving.

"Babe, I've been thinking about our Christmas vacation."

"Oh? I hope it doesn't involve Las Vegas." Jaime was slightly horrified at the thought.

"No, not Vegas but I think we need a vacation to make up for this vacation. How about a Caribbean cruise?"


End file.
